Correct me if I’m wrong, but I get the feeling that not many work environments take ice cream breaks together. Nor do they always wait for everyone in the office to be there before they share their stories from the weekend. If you haven’t done either in your workplace, give it a try. Seriously. You’re never too old or too busy for a nice walk in the summer sun to get some ice cream. There is also no reason to exclude someone from the excitement of hearing and telling a story for the first time. These are the priorities in life. These are the things you should make time for.

At the beginning of the summer my friend asked me “What do you hope to learn this summer?” I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t think that far ahead nor imagine what I would learn from my placement. Now as I reflect on my summer and my journey on discovering my Calling And Purpose in Society, I must say, I am not the same person I was walking into Erie House in May. It is scary and yet so exciting to go into the next school year, and then the next chapter of my life, with the knowledge and insight I gained from the summer.

Anticipating the moment where I would have to write my final blog post, I started asking myself, “What do I want to share with people? What do I really want to express?” And then it came to me: I want to share with you all 5 lessons I learned.

1. Take ice cream breaks. I promise, this is about more than just a tasty treat. When I was in Little Village we occasionally took ice cream breaks. They were the best. What made them the best though was not the ice cream itself, though it was a big plus! What made them the best was that for about 20 minutes I got to hang out with my coworkers and supervisor as fellow humans outside of a work relationship. We discussed our opinions on different topics, shared about our experiences, and invited each other a little more into our own worlds. When we would go back to the office we would get back to work, but knowing a little more about each other than when we left. I don’t like connecting things back to the “professional benefit,” but if that’s how your mind works, then the professional benefit of this is improved workplace morale, better teamwork and collaboration, and an overall more desirable and welcoming work environment. The human benefit is simply connection. And connecting with people and being invited to see their world is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to us. I definitely regret my missed opportunities to get to know the people I have been working with this summer. I am lucky though, because I know that when I come back to Chicago I can email or text the staff and meet up with them. Not everyone is that lucky.
   
2. Pay attention to your questions. The thoughts you are continuously drawn to probably shed a lot of light on where your passion and purpose lies. I find myself constantly thinking in terms of preventative measures and the roots of problems. This summer there were many times where my supervisor and I were discussing a client system and how to best approach the situation. Though we were talking about what to do in that moment and moving forward, I was thinking about what I could do to prevent that situation in someone else’s life in the future. I am not only talking about approach though. Preventative measures are my approach to service. I also find myself always going back to race relations and macro level/policy work. This is where my passion lies. If you are stuck in your life, not sure what your next step or chapter is, start noticing where your mind travels off too. You will discover more than you think.
   
3. Teenagers are intimidating. I know what you’re thinking, “Seriously, Eleni? Teenagers? What lesson could you possibly be sharing with me right now?” But hear me out. I helped facilitate a cooking club this summer. One for teenagers and one for elementary school kids. I loved cooking club with the elementary school kids. Not only did they listen, keep an open mind, and let their excitement shine, but I got multiple hugs every day we met for cooking club! Teenagers though… less listening, less open minded, rare and minimal excitement, and no hugs… none. Now, I’m not telling you that teenagers are no good. Instead, I want to remind you of when you were a teenager. And I’m not talking 17, 18, and 19 year olds… I’m talking 13 and 14; that first taste of being a teen. You know, when acting like nothing excited you made you popular and the “too cool for school” attitude was running through your veins. Think about that teenager, now think about having to entertain that teenager and trying to teach them or share with them something they do not know. Kind of intimidating right? Right. So don’t be that person. Do not be “too cool for work.” When someone shares a new idea, be excited! Inquire. Encourage. You’re a part of a team of individuals who are trying to accomplish the same task; share the same message. Help the situation, make it better with your investment in the project. Don’t be that teenager staring us down because you don’t want to admit you actually might like cooking club…

4. Who says dream jobs have to be lifelong? I have been thinking hard about how to express this in the best way. It was a lot easier to express when I was explaining my thoughts to Jane and was able to talk with my hands. This summer, time and time again, I have been shown how overrated dream jobs are. Hear me out. Everyone thinks that straight out of college if you are not pursuing or working at your dream job that you have somehow failed. But what is your dream job? Because let me tell you, my dream job has not stayed the same. Actually, I am not even sure I have one. Instead, I find that I am constantly discovering my “dream job”. I have encountered so many people who love what they do, but that does not mean they will be doing it forever. It is OKAY to change jobs, positions, careers… it is okay to be doing something for 15 years and wake up one day and realize that it’s time to do something else; time to uncover the next layer of your dream job. From each job you have before you believe you are working your “dream job” you will learn so much and discover so many things about yourself and how you work and what you like, that your dream job will never be the same as when you first thought it up. To think it will be is just silly. To think it it will be says that you will not grow or change at all between now and the time you start working. So I have dropped the idea of a dream job. I don’t have one. I loved working at Erie House this summer and wish I could do it again, but that does not mean I want to do it for the rest of my life. It was a stepping stone; a good place to start. I realized that Erie House was my dream job for this moment in my life. This was the perfect place for me to be working this summer. I feel like through my attempt of explaining all this to you my message still remains unclear. What I am trying to say is this: Drop your dream job. Listen to your thoughts and passions and pick the next place you find interesting and go work there. Trust that you have something to bring to the table everywhere you go. You will gain so much knowledge and insight that you might realize your dream job wasn’t your dream job all along. And that’s okay. Because when you think you might have figured it out, it will change again. So stop trying to figure it out. Follow your passions, absolutely, but don’t get too specific.

5. Be courageous. When I went to lunch with my alumni mentor, Jason, one of the things that really resonated with me was when he said how Social Workers need to be courageous. Of course I knew that, but I guess I never truly knew what it meant. Going to protests and rallies, yes, those are courageous things. But that’s not what he was talking about. Having the responsibility, whether you want it or not, to speak up or act out when something is not right and actually acting on that responsibility – that is courageous. Explaining to your best friend or favorite uncle why the comment they made is discriminatory and wrong, rather than ignoring it, that is courage. Standing up to a guy on the subway who is harassing a girl, that is courage. Those are the hard things. And I realized, I am not courageous. I am afraid to be courageous. But the things that haunt our minds are the things we did not say or do. So, try to be courageous. Push yourself that first and second time you think you should speak up to actually speak up. It will never be easy, but it gets easier from there. This is what I have to do to, all of us, everyday.

 
I challenge you to tweak these lessons to fit your own purposes, work environments, and lives. But I also challenge you to put your work down right now, grab your sunglasses, and take an ice cream break with your coworkers.

At the beginning of this summer I remember being so nervous that I wasn’t fully prepared to take on an internship yet. And as much as I tried to be prepared, that start date approached much more quickly than I could have anticipated. I quickly learned that even when you aren’t ready, life keeps moving. And that’s what I did this summer, I learned. Working at Exodus has taught me more than I could have ever imagined.

It started with the simpler things. I learned how to enter data, refine my kitschy marketing language, and I even discovered some organizational skills I thought were nowhere in my genetics. About a month in another intern and I were asked to start mentoring a new refugee family twice a week. At first I was thinking “I just learned how to use a copier, do you guys really think I’m ready?” But as life does, our first day approached before I thought I was ready.

It’s funny how when you first meet people there are those awkward lulls of silence, and then that awkwardness starts to slip away as you get to know each other. That awkwardness has a little more of a presence when you and the person you meet have no common language.  Our first few weeks with our family were fun, interesting, and mostly a lot of hand signals and laughing. We developed this ritual where the other intern sits with the parents and practices English, and I run around with and watch their three amazingly sweet children. At the end we sit down for tea and we almost always end up leaving a few hours later than we are supposed too. We are friends now.

These days, the kids always run up and hug us when we arrive and pout when we leave. We’ve come up with some weird mix of hand motions and various languages and we can now understand each other most of the time. But I think the hardest part of getting to know this family is knowing that our time together is coming to an end. The father has begun calling us his sisters and has explained that since their family is so far away, that Exodus is their family. I can never put into words how much this experience with them means to me.

Today is my last day with the family and I hope we will cross paths again someday. We have tried to help them as much as we can, but I think in the end, they are the ones who have helped us. They have shown me how truly resilient one can be, how close you can become with someone when you take the time to know them, and how important family truly is. I will never forget this experience with Exodus and I am so thankful to have been led in this direction by the CAPS program. I plan to spend the rest of my life working with refugees and getting to know such strong and beautiful humans.

With my internship ending last week and me moving back to Valpo next Tuesday I’ve spent some time thinking about what I want to do after graduation. I was blessed to be exposed to the world of entrepreneurship. I think being able to reflect on the past is one of the best ways to grow and move forward.
This summer was full of new experiences, places, and people. The CAPS fellows here in Chicago were great people to share the summer with. So many of us had the same questions about life and purpose. I also had the opportunity to go with Cindy to an MBA tour to look at grad schools. It seems weird to be looking at grad schools already when I still have two years at Valpo, but looking at options and new possibilities is always exciting.
However, looking to the more immediate future, I had the pleasure to meet with a Peace Corps recruiter. I think I’m drawn to the Peace Corps for the same reason I was drawn to the military, out of a sense of service. While the purpose of the Peace Corps and the military may seem different to be ideologically opposed, I think they’re rather well aligned. Being an exemplar of American values overseas.
The positions I’m looking to apply for are focused on economic development in Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe, specifically the Balkan countries, have been in turmoil sense the collapse of the USSR. I’m talking genocide, civil war, political unrest, and more. I think the philosophy of turning swords to plowshares is important in these countries. While Humanitarian work is important in these countries, economic development is going to be a vital catalyst into the country having a chance at long term recovery.
When we think of business in America we often think of fortune 500 companies with CEOs that have houses in every time zone. However, when I think of business, I think of small business owners. Every dollar that goes in their pockets isn’t going to be a third house. It’s paying for a child’s guitar lessons and improving a family’s quality of life. Essentially: Individual, family, community, region, country, then world.
By helping these business owners develop their businesses and assisting entrepreneurs, it’s laying the foundations for a better tomorrow in their country. Better business will increase the quality of the communities they are in and can provide the financial means in taxes to improve the country’s infrastructure overall.
I want to spend the next couple years refining my skills and gaining new knowledge to best prepare myself for this role. Often times in the Peace Corps you are on your own and most of the projects you take on are taken on your own initiative. Think the best pathway I want to approach is focusing in on is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a skill that is universal, knowing how to use it will be critical in turning a former combat zone into a community.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the wonderful state of Indiana is celebrating its bicentennial this year. Or, as we like to say at the United Way office, Indiana is celebrating its “Bison-tennial.” To raise awareness for both the state and the United Way, Charlie and I have been hauling a baby bison around the city, visiting various funded partners and popular spots in Michigan City. There are two things about this project that I’d like to point out. First, and most important, is that I get to go to the beach a lot.

There’s nothing like leaving the office for an hour or two so you can take pictures with a bison at the pier. Being located 3 blocks from Lake Michigan has its benefits! Spending time at the beach and near the water is fun, but in reality the most exciting part of the bison project is interacting with the people of Michigan City and LaPorte County. People tend to give you funny looks and ask a lot of questions when you’re carrying a bison around town. The bison has sparked conversation with people that we would never have the chance to talk to otherwise and we’ve spread some great information about the United Way. In addition to random people on the street, we’ve also brought the bison to local agencies that the United Way partners with. The Boys and Girls Club of Michigan City hosts camps for kids during the summer. We had the opportunity to bring the bison to meet the kids, tour the facility, and meet with the executive director to talk about problems involving children in the city. The bison has traveled to United Way sponsored Kindergarten Countdown Camps at a local elementary school. These camps prepare children for kindergarten by giving them a taste of what going to school is like. The kids got to meet the bison, which for them was a real treat, and Charlie and I again had the chance to participate first hand in developing the community. We’ve been able to use the bison as an excuse to move around the county and see everything there is to see and participate in everything that the United Way has its hand in in the county.

At this point I’ll be working for about three more weeks and it’s sad to see the summer slowly drawing to a close. When I go to meetings or events in the community, I actually know people and have a good understanding of the not-for-profit arena in the city. Just as I’m becoming comfortable and everything seems normal, the summer starts to end, and that’s disappointing. Through this internship I’ve come face to face with the people and struggles of LaPorte County and it’s tough to think about leaving when there’s still so much work to do. I’ve really grown attached to this county and the people and businesses here (take that Porter County) and it will be tough to leave. But I also know that I’ve learned very tangible skills and acquired a fair amount of knowledge and connections that will travel with me wherever I go. My social media skills, as far as a professional account are concerned, have increased immensely. I’ve stared in, produced, and written a rap and video. (I’ll attach that at the end in case you want to see it again). I’ve introduced myself at least a thousand times this summer, sometimes to individuals, sometimes to groups of a hundred people. I’ve networked with people from every type of business. I’m taking a lot with me when I leave in a couple short weeks, but I’ll still be sad to go.

As promised, here’s Charlie and I singing and dancing our summer away:

The young woman sitting across the aisle leaned over and asked in broken English “Where are you going in Haiti?” As soon as Professor Blood replied with ‘La Victore’, a weak smile formed across her face and her eyes seemed to say ‘I understand what you will be doing in Haiti’. I realized then that this trip would be different than my previous work in Haiti, Mexico, or Nicaragua.

Without internet access, I was forced to use this nifty invention called a pen and paper to record my experience in country. Here is what I wrote:

Day 1 (07/19)

Ten of us piled into a minivan to start our trip from the capital, Port au Prince, to La Victore located in northern Haiti. The driver brought his whole family along for the expected 5 hour drive. Dodging weaving motorcycles and four lanes of traffic on a two lane road, we managed to escape the vehicle madness and enter the country side. We drove up rolling green mountains and through brown flowing rivers both of which sprinkled with plastic bags and bottles. After nine hours,… yes nine… and observing the countryside as well as a man hanging on a speeding truck for dear life while disposing his breakfast due to motion sickness, we arrived in La Victore.

Mosquito Bite Count: 3

Typical river in Haiti

Day 2 (07/20)

At five in the morning the rooster crows and a Haitian song that was played on repeat the rest of the week makes its way through our open window. Professor Blood, Kortney and I start to assemble the power pack. The power pack is essentially a mobile outlet. In the bottom container are two 24 volt car batteries with the wires connected to the top container containing a charge controller, inverter and outlets. The power pack allows the school to charge the batteries via solar or generator then wheel the pack to any location that needs power (the electric water pumps, lighting the school etc).

We then took the power pack to the school and installed our first well. Upon returning at the end of the day, we heard cries from a chicken getting plucked and prepared for dinner*. While the scene unrolled,  I found it ironic that the rooster was watching the entire thing. Later that night, we had chicken soup huddled around a dim battery power lamp. As I raised my spoon to my mouth about to take a sip, I realized the chicken’s foot was sprawled across the spoon. Needless to say, I felt full after that. The question remains: Is getting the chicken foot in my bowl a sign of good luck or bad luck? Please leave your comments below.

Mosquito Bite Count: 19

*Please note chickens were harmed in the making of this trip

The top of the power pack with the inverter and charge controller

Day 3 (07/21)

The morning started with the Haitian song on repeat. We drove to the guest house to install our second well. After all the work was done, we pumped a few gallons from the well until we discovered that the people who drilled the well did not go deep enough and the well was dry. Rather than sulking, we made the best of the situation and started throwing rocks at mango trees to knock mangos down. Mangos in Haiti are very good.

Mosquito Bite Count: 23

Throws to Mango Ratio: 6:4

The electric pump attached to 130 ft of pipe ready to be put in the well.

Day 4 (07/22)

Our last day of worked involved wiring solar panels for the power pack, cleaning and priming the well at the school and testing the water at three sources to determine the cleanliness. We took samples straight from the pump or river as well as tested them after they went through an aqUV’s bottle.

Mosquito Bite Count: 27

The electrical box and well cap to connect the well to the solar panels/generator

120 ft of pipe going into the well

As I reflect on my experience, it amazes me how quickly we go back to warm 20 minute showers compared to the cold 2 minutes ones or how we NEED to respond to the 39 emails, 27 Facebook Notifications, 15 Groupme Messages, 7 Snapchats, 2 text messages, and 1 Facebook Message. I saw the importance of coordinating trips, things to bring, and how to prepare for the worst when traveling. All of which come with stories, but I need to leave some content for @kcena.

Stateside, one of my favorite projects from this summer was developing the Monte Carlo simulation in Matlab with the help of Professor Venstrom. The program randomly selects a light beam and initial direction from the UV Light bulb then proceeds to track it as it reflects off the water and the steel side until it finally gets fully absorbed.The program is a game of probability where the ray, direction and outcome (reflected or absorbed) are essentially determined with a dice roll. The more dices we roll, the more accurate our results will be. So I ran the program 10 million times.  In order for the program to be accurate, I had to create an experiment measure the light intensity of the UV light (does it shine more like a flashlight or a laser pointer). There was no procedure, materials given, or expected outcome like in class. I designed something like a 3-D protractor that could hold the sensor and measure the light at all angles. Professor Venstrom and I are looking into publishing our method.

Measuring the light intensity of the UV light bulb

Kortney and I ended the summer creating our own aqUV bottle

As the fellowship comes to a close, although it is not doing them justice, I would like to thank a few people for the experience and knowledge bestowed upon me this summer.

• Kortney – Thank you for making this summer more socially appealing than being trapped in Gellersen all summer, for your daily optimism and cheerfulness, and showing me the hard work/willing to learn mentality.
• Steve  – Thank you for being a great alumni mentor. The hidden gems to search for jobs, the networking and career path advice, all of which I think about constantly.
• Professor Venstrom – For your school and career advice both this summer and during the year and help with the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing.
• CAPS Fellowship Coordinators- Thank you for selecting me and the opportunities you put in the doorway. This summer has been full of meeting people, and constant learning. None of which could have been done without the CAPS program.
• Dr. Blood – Thank you for not only this summer, but the three years of mentorship. I can’t imagine what EWB, WAVES, TED (whatever you want to call it) would be without your direction. The time and investment you put into the organization and myself, I can not thank you enough. This summer has shown me I want to be a humanitarian and an engineer where before I wasn’t so sure I wanted to the latter. I look forward to another year and potentially longer.

My time in Baltimore is nearing an end and though I am saddened to leave my work at LIRS, I am also thrilled to take what I have learned this summer and apply those lessons to every aspect of my life. I recently returned from the LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans, where the outreach team and a few folks from communications had a display table and an experiential learning exhibit. The exhibit, a maze of rooms and stations partitioned by dark curtains, explained the Syrian refugee crisis from start to finish. Both the youth (there were 25,000!) and pastors/chaperons were able to make their way through, starting with a refugee profile, and continuing on through simulations of fleeing from home, traveling at night amidst war, arriving in the UN refugee camp in Jordan and traveling to Greece by raft. The last two stations were an explanation of the United States security clearance process for refugees seeking resettlement and a “Hall of Welcome”, where both negative and positive arguments were displayed in pictures, provoking youth to decide, as followers of Christ, what kind of welcomer they should be to these new strangers.

 At our photo booth!

It was a very emotionally moving and successful exhibit as many learned for the first time that the news is not usually correct, and that it is the call of Christ to welcome refugees. Here is a beautiful example of how our work changes hearts: An older gentleman, who started the exhibit with a scowl on his face, interjected (granted, it was with concern in his voice) that we should not accept refugees because they are all terrorists who are sneaking into the camps pretending to be refugees. This, though a shocking comment, is not unlike many opinions uninformed Americans can have. These opinions are formed as a result of many instigators, including media messages. This comment was directed towards myself, as I spoke about what life is like in a refugee camp, and due to his sudden, out-of-context comment, I did not know what to say. So, I happily directed him to the security clearance station, then ran ahead to warn the staff member there of his anxieties.

By the time the group had finished their guided tour of the exhibit, the staff member at the last station approached me with tears in his eyes because that man had just carefully looked at all of the pro and anti-refugee photos decorating the “Hall of Welcome”, walked up to him crying, shook his hand, and left silently. A very heartfelt moment for our whole crew, we were privileged to witness the fruits of our labor, as over the course of our three days at this convention, many individuals left crying and thanking us for the work we do.

A youth reading signs in the Hall of Welcome.

Personally, this experience brought my understanding of our work to a whole new level. Because our audience was LCMS youth and pastors, we could engage them using faith language to whatever extent we desired. This was the first time I felt at liberty to say “It is right to do ____, because the Gospel says so”. I loved it! It allowed me to connect to strangers in a way that I have never felt comfortable doing before; I was able to preach the truth of the Gospel and advocate for refugees all in one breath. I also, as is evident from the story of the gentleman, am extremely grateful for being able to advocate for those whose voices are silenced. And despite the persecution that often comes as a result of speaking out for minorities in the name of Christ, I would gladly continue doing outreach work such as this for the rest of my life.

The work-faith relationship I got to experience at this conference was unique and fascinating. Being able to change hearts and opinions about the popular argument of immigration and resettlement by using an infallible argument – the Word of God – completely resonated with me and is a lesson/skill I hope to keep close.

Our table, featuring youths’ pro-refugee graffiti.

The last time I posted a CAPS blog, I was still in the very first week of my internship with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana. I was eager but also unsure about everything laid out ahead of me. I was stumbling through phone calls and the buttons on the fax machine. Compare that to last week, in which I was the only one in the office and I was running from desk to desk answering phones, buzzing people in, and simultaneously working on my own projects. I’ve been spending a significant amount of time training new volunteers and interns (who will probably help take up some of my projects once I leave) on the basics of working at the Urban League, and just today the President told me over a phone call discussing my own work as well as my assisting other volunteers, “I don’t know how we are going to let you go. We might have to lock you in!”.

The Urban League office.

Through the Urban League, I’ve discovered just how much of an asset I can be through even the smallest tasks. I’m comfortable in so many situations that would have boggled my mind before, from directing a STEM activity for school-aged boys, to addressing board members in a meeting to discuss the new annual fund project of which I have played a key role. I truly can’t believe I have only been with the Urban League for two months, as it seems like I have learned so much, not just about the organization, but about myself as well.

Myself and my alumni mentor Carolyn.

My self-discovery was furthered this week as I had my first meeting with my Alumni mentor- Carolyn Stypka. We had been playing email tag for a while, but were finally able to arrange a time to have dinner together. Although it took a little while to figure things out, it was definitely worth it. I did not know Carolyn before being introduced through the CAPS program, but we ended up talking for over two hours about our shared interests, our time in the VU social work program (which has changed dramatically over the years!), and giving and accepting advice about graduate school and other post-Valpo options. Although our relationship was arranged through networks and emails, we truly connected as two people eager to learn from one another. After our two-hour discussion over pita and falafel, we got our phones and scheduled another meeting for a couple weeks from now.

The warm and inclusive environment at the Urban League has really allowed my professional identity to grow and flourish, and talking with Carolyn also gave me more confidence in my ability to choose a good path for myself after Valpo. Of all that the CAPS program has given me, this gained confidence in my own abilities as a professional and as a person is by far the best. As the summer comes to a close, I am sure that this new found perspective will help to carry me through my last year at Valpo, and help me decide on the next step I want to take.

“I love it here” is a thought I have probably eight times a day living in Washington, DC.  I think it as I run down the escalator hoping to jump on the Metro in time.  I think it as I walk past the Supreme Court and head to Capitol Hill for work.  I think it as I pick up a squealing four year in Wellington Park, Anacostia and as I see familiar faces run over to hug me as I open up the Community Resource Center (CRC).  I think it as I laugh with my co-workers over lunch and they share every post-graduate tip and mistake they have or made.  I think it as I link arms with my roommates, who weeks ago were strangers, as we head to dinner.  And I think it as I climb to the top of the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite, to sit and gaze out onto the National Mall and beyond.

(c) National Park Service

Welcome to Washington, DC my ultimate playground for the last two months.  Seven years ago, I made myself a promise to come work in Washington DC one day and I am eternally grateful that I was able to fulfill that dream this summer while working with Horton’s Kids.  This summer has been exciting, humbling, and most of all allowed me to continually explore my passion for youth policy and learn more about systemic urban poverty.  Time is relative here in DC, impossibly slow at some points but often hurtling away from you as you fill your day with hard work, fun, and good memories.  

Nationals Ball Park

My roommates and I have attempted to make use of every second we can in this city– despite the oppressive heat wave that recently took over.  We’ve explored museums, music festivals, local eateries in Chinatown, the Potomac River by kayak, and Georgetown rooftops by moonlight.  But most importantly, we have used this time to better discover our wants, our hopes for the future, our feelings on global and local issues, and our place in society.  Every Sunday we have something we call Family Dinner where we trade off weekly on who cooks the meal for everyone and then we gather around the table to share about our weeks, reflect, and just spend some quality time with one another.  Around the table is where the love is.  Family dinner is what grounds me before I gear up for another week.  Conversation around the table floats from swapping recipes for whatever was cooked that night to bigger issues such as the violence that has erupted in the last few weeks around the country.  Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but the important thing is that is we are never alone in those moments, we are always with one another through it all.   We are vulnerable, we are real, we carry each other.

My Perfect Roommates <3

The other half of my life revolves around Horton’s Kids and the children of Wellington Park in Anacostia.  While I originally started my days in the office on Capitol Hill more frequently I’m spending my entire day in Anacostia at the CRC.  This means eight joyful, somewhat exhausting hours are spent with children aged 4-18 and members of the Wellington Park community.  Eight hours are spent where the friendship and love overflows.  Almost immediately I saw firsthand how much Horton’s Kids truly cares about the well being of the children of Wellington Park.  I see how much the love for the children is present in every action and word that comes from the staff I work alongside.  Love, compassion, and grace for these children and their families just pours out.  Whether we are assisting members of the community with diaper distribution or their resume for an upcoming job interview, there is mutual care that passes between individuals.  The typical individual’s’ initial thoughts on this Ward-8 housing project located across the Anacostia River is that it is poverty-stricken.  While this is true, if you take a closer look you realize that while the place lacks certain things, an abundance of love and care is present.  The love you give is always returned in a ten-fold from the hands and hearts of the individuals you’re serving.  

“I love it here” I say to five-year old Lania when she asks me if ‘Miss Katie’ will be staying for a long time.  This summer has been challenging so far, sometimes even heartbreaking, but at the same time it has been exactly what I was looking for.  In the challenges there has been changes, all of which I consider for the better.  The obligation, responsibility, and affection I feel toward the children and staff of Horton’s Kids as well as toward my roommates and the friends I have made here is strong.  It guides me through my day-to-day activities and has made my time here in Washington, DC so much fuller.  So to be completely honest, I’m not sure it’s “I love it here” as much as it’s “I love you all”.  

“Are you counting down the days?” Someone asked me this question after church on Sunday, after I told them I only had 3 weeks left. I replied that I only counted them to remind myself to make every one of them matter. This experience has been amazing. When I finished my interview with Broadway this past spring I remember thinking, “this sounds like it’s out of my comfort zone, but it can change my life if I let it.” The thing about change is that we think it will be dramatic and obvious, as if one day I would have an encounter so powerful I wouldn’t be able to see life the same way. However, that isn’t how it works. When I stopped to reflect I realized that I had grown a lot, it just didn’t feel that way because it has happened over time. I was walking around the neighborhood by the church on my own, and realized that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that my first few weeks here, but as the kids I work with–who go around the neighborhood to get to the know the gifts and talents of their neighbors–showed me around their neighborhood I became comfortable. That is how life works, it isn’t a magical encounter, but an effort to get to know the people around you. It isn’t shutting down a conversation when it gets uncomfortable or awkward, but trying to navigate through it.

At the Boston Public Library, on my trip to learn from the Family Independence Initiative.

I have had amazing opportunities this summer. I learned from an organization called the Family Independence Initiative in Boston about how other families and support systems are their greatest resource. I’ve witnessed a lot of amazing things around the neighborhood during my time at Broadway. I’ve witnessed a father express his pride for his son. I’ve witnessed neighbors telling the kids how great they are and to keep doing what they’re doing. I’ve witnessed people sharing their goals and dreams with the kids. I’ve also witnessed kids make connections over shared interests with neighbors. That’s the thing, I’ve been doing a lot of witnessing. These great stories I’ve witnessed happened regardless of whether they’ve been shared with me, but these encounters often lead to an acknowledgement of the great things the neighbors have done, and I get an opportunity to share what I’ve heard with others. The phrase for this at Broadway is to “make the invisible visible.” My time here at Broadway has shown me how easy it is to be blind to talent, and how easy it is to be surprised. The neighbor who seems reluctant to talk shares a powerful story. The kid who usually stands in the back, steps up and introduces the group. You never know what’s invisible. People are constantly surprising each other, and I wonder why I’m continually surprised that I’m surprised.

As I reflect on my time here at Broadway, I wonder if my own neighborhood is really that different, or if I hadn’t been paying attention. So, while I may only have a few weeks left at Broadway, I’ll go back to my own neighborhood and eventually move on to new ones, and I’ll be paying attention to the people around me and the value they bring to the community.

As a business student I would not be surprised if my peers outside of the college of business thought all I aspired to in life was to make six figures, play a round or two of golf at lunch and try to make it into a corner office with a comfy chair. While all that sounds nice, it’s not what I want. What I want is to help foster peoples’ growth and make their dreams materialize.

Here at the Industrial council of Chicago, the ICNC for short, we do just that. Looking back to what I’ve read or learned in class, I discovered that entrepreneurs make up less than 10% of the population but make up over 30% of America’s overall economy. How could so few people do so much? What could I learn about them? Is it a personality trait, some animal urge, or a relentless pursuit of independence?

I don’t know. Entrepreneurs are from all strings of society and exist in almost any industry. They may be a banker who left his spreadsheets behind to go into making organic, gluten free bread or four friends who used to sell sports apparel out of briefcases outside stadiums until they finally created their own chain of stores. Young or old, an entrepreneur is an entrepreneur.

One of the most valuable qualities that I want to take out of this internship is an entrepreneurial sense of creativity and bravery. I think these are traits are critical to helping fix the problems of the world and would be some of the most important lessons I’ve learned at the ICNC these past few weeks alongside the other skills I’m learning.  The world is encapsulated in a whirlwind of problems day by day, and learning to think in an unorthodox way like an entrepreneur is critical in any plan to change the world, big or small. However, I think bravery is the most important aspect of my whole fellowship.

Learning to not be afraid of failure when it happens I think is one of the most inspiring lessons I can take out of this internship. At the events I work at for the ICNC so many entrepreneurs describe just how vulnerable they felt when things started to go south. So many of them have failed in the process of following their dreams, but hearing how they brushed themselves off, saw what went wrong and worked on fixing their issues to become successful is really something else. To an entrepreneur you only really fail when you just stop trying and give up.

While I only have a few more weeks left at the ICNC, I want to take on whatever challenges may come my way. Opportunities to learn this outside of the classroom are so rare to find. Even learning to network around influential Chicago businessmen and politicians can be intimidating it is no excuse not to try. Going back to Valparaiso this fall will be weird as I’m no longer trying to find a decent corporation to work for. I’m going to be looking down a different path and see about making my own way!

Majestic Pikes Peak (Yes, I really took this picture).

As I arrived at Douglas Land Conservancy, I was full of questions about the upcoming summer. There were many unknowns, but perhaps the biggest question on my mind was about the purpose of my summer at DLC.  Ever since I stepped foot on campus at Valpo, I had been acutely aware of the university’s focus on and attention to service.  Service is an integral part of university life.  Soon after I learned of my placement at DLC, I was filled with questions about the conservation field, and its relationship to service.  I spent much of my first week pouring over files, attempting to gain a basic understanding of the conservation field.  For those of you as unfamiliar with the field as I was, I will give you a quick flyover of what I’ve learned so far.

Field of wildflowers on a protected property

The kind of work that DLC does on the land can be broken down into two categories: private and public.  The organization holds conservation easements, which are legal agreements that state that the land in question is to be protected in perpetuity, on specific parcels of land.  Some of these easements are for public open spaces, where anyone can come and enjoy all that the land has to offer.  Other easements are on private land, with the land owner retaining ownership of the land, but giving up any developmental rights.  These kind of easements are put in place to protect wildlife habitats, scenic viewscapes, as well as a myriad of other reasons.  DLC is constantly partnering and working with other conservation organizations to protect property throughout Douglas County.  With these different kinds of easements that DLC holds and protects on our minds, now I want to dive into the question that has been on my mind constantly this summer: Is this work service?

My first day out on the land resulted in quite the view.

I have been at DLC for just over a month, and I have learned an incredible amount of information, and have been digesting all that I have learned.  In my mind, conservation is absolutely a form of service.  I think that many times we limit our view of service because we focus on a particular kind of service, which is helping those in dire need of something.  Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of service, and we should praise those who work to do just that.  Simply put, my summer at DLC has challenged if that is the only kind of service that there is.  During my internship, I have not helped a needy family, listened to an immigrant’s story, or combated modern day slavery.  The majority of people that I have interacted with are fairly well off white people.  And yet DLC, and other land conservation organizations, are deeply committed to service.  This kind of service may not fit a typical definition of what service is, but land conservation is absolutely beneficial to society at large.  In a world where so much seems to be about the bad, land conservation organizations are working hard to preserve what is good.  One of my favorite historical figures is John Muir.  If you have not heard the name, I encourage you to check him out.  Muir was an early advocate of wilderness protection, specifically in the Western United States, and is known as the Father of the National Parks.  He spoke about the healing qualities of the natural world, and how each person needs time in nature to nourish his or her soul.  It is that kind of experience, and that kind of nourishment, that DLC is actively protecting, specifically through public open spaces.

View of Dawson Butte Open Space.

During my time at DLC, I have spent a good amount of time out on the land, whether it is monitoring protected properties or joining guided hikes on protected open spaces.  And it is there, when one is surrounded by creation, that the impact of DLC’s service fully manifests itself.  There is something so special and unique about open spaces.  The protected space is open to all.  Many of these open spaces are considered prime real estate, and could have easily ended up 35 acre parcels with a magnificent house on each section, complete with awe-inspiring views.  But instead, these lands are under protection for perpetuity.  And that is a good, beneficial outcome.  Service does not simply have to be about fixing a wrong, it can be about preserving a right.  The open space will remain open to the public, allowing people of all walks of life a brief respite from the hectic pace of the world, and a chance to nourish their souls, as Muir would have wanted.  The privately owned properties will retain their natural character forever.  In a world where development can spread like wildfire, the preservation of the character of the land is critical.  Conservation organizations are working to protect and steward creation in its natural form, and attempt to minimize the impact that we humans will have on the land.

The most beneficial part of my summer has been the intensive kind of thinking that I have found myself engaged in each and every day when I am out on the land.  Thanks to what I have learned at Valpo, I am applying my previous knowledge to my current situation, and it is leading to an incredible amount of self-reflection.  I look at things in a manner that I would not have three years ago, and I credit Valpo for helping me develop a deeper sense of questioning of the world around me.  My time at DLC has left me contemplating a set of questions that I had never encountered before.  There are still parts of the conservation field that weigh heavily on my mind, specifically when it comes to private lands.  The public benefit is clear when one looks at open spaces, but is more obscure and refined when it comes to private easements.  How I incorporate that aspect of land conservation into my conception of service that my time at Valpo has sparked in me has been a continued challenge this summer.  I am excited to continue this journey over the summer, and to continue self-reflecting on the difficult questions that I encounter.